How to Organize Bathrooms
When outfitting a bathroom to gain extra storage, don’t be afraid to borrow some fixtures from elsewhere in the home.
A bar cart makes a superlative stand-in for heftier fixtures. Plus, it’s easy to roll to and fro when cleaning—and the handlebar doubles as a place for hanging a hand towel. You can even (finally) solve the blow-dryer dilemma by looping the cord around an S hook. To make the cart more stain resistant, coat it with glossy paint.
To keep your bathing essentials close at hand, simply cut a board—either reclaimed or from the lumber yard, like this knotted Douglas fir—a few inches wider than your tub. Sand it smooth, then seal with a waterproof finish. Or search out antique versions made of metal, which often expand and have built-in soap dishes.
These old-fashioned three-tiered baskets may have been designed for separating produce in the kitchen, but they are just as brilliant at storing toiletries in the bathroom. Group like items (paper goods, exfoliators, and salves are shown here) in each tier to keep it neat.
Indispensable in the kitchen (for hanging pots) and the garage (for hanging tools), oversize S hooks are also handy in the bathroom: They let you hang more towels than a single rod allows and can be shifted to meet your needs. Plus, brass hooks pop against a bronze bar and a dark wall.